When can I expect change?

[Evileyecherry]

Bit of background.

I’m 38 and 5”10.

I was probably - dare I say it - around 13 stone but haven’t had the courage to go on the scales. Size 14 jeans.

I’m eight days into a totally new regime using MyFitnessPal.

I had already cut back on drinking (which probably contributed to my weight gain) but now I’m absolutely sticking to 1200 cal a day as well as exercising for around an hour a day.

I don’t have a starting weight but today I decided to try on a few pairs of jeans and none fit any differently.

I KNOW it’s only a week but I feel I’m living my life so differently I’d love to get an idea of when I can expect to see results. I am absolutely committed to this diet but I need to know there’s light at the end of the tunnel in the not too distant future.

You can always tell yourself you are not going to be 13 st anything ever again! It's hard to stick at it if you think you're not losing, or you're not losing at the rate you want to. I'm in a competition my gym is running and I'm not actually bothered about winning (although the cash prize would be great!). I'm more bothered about getting slimmer and being healthy for me. I'm fat and middle aged and older than you. I can't do anything about my age, but I can do something to stop being fat. I'm on the cusp of not being overweight with regard to my BMI which is a big thing for me.

Don't beat yourself up about your weight when you've already started doing something about it!
Have you taken underwear photos? You really should. And measure your waist.

I don’t think you’ll see anything for a while but as others said, 3.5 lb is a good loss even if you were 13 st on the dot. Get some bags of flour weighing the same and weigh them in your hand and think about the fact that all that fat is now off your body.

Also, I massively underestimated how much I weighed. I was wearing size 12 jeans (stretchy ones but still) and kidding myself that I was about 12 or 13 st. I was 14 and a half. At least you know now.

1200 sounds a bit low. There’s no point going super-low when you don’t have to. Eating very very low cals can fuck up your metabolism big time and make it really hard to maintain. There was a woman on another thread who did a VLCD and it triggered a really disordered relationship with food and she gained 6 stone. Unless you’re only looking to lose a few pounds and are already a healthy weight, I’d eat the maximum that you can to still lose weight. If it doesn’t shift it, drop it slightly etc. It’s definitely better to do it slowly. Very few people can maintain a much lower weight after being a lot heavier and all the ones I’ve come across that have have lost the weight slowly, eating healthily in a way that be maintained long-term and doing exercise. Most people who do VLCDs regain and then some.

Thank you Shedtheload! That’s a really helpful comment.

Yep - was in size 12 stretchy jeans.

I am determined and you’re right - now I know.

Husband just got on them and he’s under a stone heavier 😣 he’s not exactly got a toned physique and is 6ft 2 to my 5ft 10!!

I am on 1,200 cals on MFT but I am eating my extra that I get through exercise - about 300 daily. I feel a bit restless on the evening and could scoff a chocolate cake...but it’s doable and I suppose feeling like that is to be expected.

Thank you again!

Ah - it's really interesting that you have just posted you are eating the extra that you get through exercise. Stop doing that - you need the deficit to lose weight. Most fitbits/gym machines/people over estimate how many calories are burned through exercise. If you stop doing that you will lose more weight. My gym programme has me doing hard interval weight training a minimum three times a week and on training days only I'm allowed 150 calories more. Walking 10k steps a day doesn't count as training. I actually only have all the calories if I'm hungry.

wowfudge 1500 cals is not too high for someone who is 5’8’’ to lose weight and 10000 steps counts as active. 1200 is too low and unsustainable. As the OP didn’t weigh at the beginning, she doesn’t know what her starting weight was and it sounds like she is losing weight in any event.

5’10’’ even

Absolutely. Going into too much calorie deficit is almost guaranteed to lead to falling off the wagon. At that height and weight her TDEE is probably around 2200 so there is no need to cut below 1500

I'm on 1200 at 5'8

Thanks all!

I think I’ve given you duff info and overestimated how much I’ve been earning on exercise.

I’ve done a bike ride and walk today and earned 72 - so not quite the 300.

Nevertheless as MFP works it all out for you I’ve never gone over the amount it gives me for exercise added on.

So on average I’ve probably been eating between 1300 and 1400 a day.

I'm on 1200 at 5'8

How heavy are you though?

It'll take time, that's all. Stick with it and you'll get the results you want.

@CodenameVillanelle 13st. It worked 2 years ago when I lost 6st and I reached 10st. I just never maintained the weight loss. I need to maintain!

If you cut your calories by a smaller deficit it would make it easier to maintain that level in the long run. It's up to you of course but the reason people don't sustain weight loss is because the 'diet' is so far removed from their normal way of eating. Eating more and losing more slowly will give you a better chance of keeping it off.

@codenamevillanelle I understand :) thanks for the tip. To be honest I just want to drop 3st and then work on maintenance. I have a whole wardrobe of clothes waiting for me to wear:)

I have lost a stone since lockdown but honestly not seeing it yet - DH keeps telling me can see l have lost it but in my mind l feel so good because my eating habits are under control rather than me just eating what l want when l want!

@Fishfingersandwichplease that is an amazing loss. Well done. Please could i ask what have you done differently to lose 1st?

@lou967 why thank you!! I am very pleased - l decided when lockdown started that it would be hard enough to go shopping for essentials so it would be a really good time to cut out bad foods. Every morning l do Joe Wicks and have a bowl of porridge straight afterwards then lunch about 1230hrs and evening meal finished by 5.30pm so l'm doing intermittent fasting (16:8) although it wasn't a planned thing. Not sure how sustainable it will be when l go back to work but hopefully by then l willie used to eating breakfast later!! Still got at least a stone to go but am quietly confident l have got this🤞

12st 8.5 this morning! It’s coming off 🎉🎉🎉🎉

BMI 25.1 - so just a sniff out of a healthy number.

I’m so happy there’s a downward trajectory even though that weight still feels shocking.

How is everyone else doing?

Well done! It feels good doesn't it? I'm 3lbs away from being in the healthy BMI band instead of overweight. Got to keep going now.

Eek! V similar to me wow. A definite landmark.

Measured myself before doing a weights session tonight and I've lost from my bust, waist and hips which is really pleasing. Sometimes it feels as though weight loss has slowed, but then the measurements decrease. It's all good.

You well done OP!! Stick with it!!

Well. A hideous crash this morning. After another day scrupulously sticking to diet and exercise I woke up and hurried downstairs to be weighed: 12st 11 and a quarter. That is MORE than the first time I stepped on the scales on Wednesday.

I feel like crying and really fucking depressed.

How can that be? What is the point?

I had my bloods done the other day and perhaps that will show something up.

I’m feeling the benefits of feeling healthier and more alert but if it continues like this I can’t see how I’ll stick to it.

Help.

It's probably water. Don't weigh yourself every day - your bodyweight will go up and down for a number of reasons, but overall the trend will be down if you are consuming fewer calories than you are expending. I'm in the same position, but I'm not giving up now, nor will I sabotage my good work. I ate reduced fat halloumi yesterday. I'm convinced that's why I weigh more today although my calories were fine. Some things go through your system quicker! I also did an evening interval weights session. By the way, I have been weighing myself every day and shouldn't! Drink some water and go for a walk. Don't cave in because you think it isn't working. You can do this x